Departing Warrington Wolves boss Tony Smith says he will always be a supporter of the club

On Sunday, The Wire announced their long-serving head of coaching and rugby would leave at the end of the season, bringing the curtain down on a nine-season reign at The Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Since arriving in 2009, the Australian has guided Wolves to three Challenge Cups and two League Leaders’ Shields as well as three appearances in the Super League Grand Final.

This year has been a disappointment, with Wolves having to secure their place in Super League via the Middle 8s.

Smith’s departure is by mutual consent and the 50-year-old was adamant the time was right to part ways, saying there is no ‘bad heart’ between him and the club.

“Myself and (club owner) Simon Moran had some talks. We have a relationship by which we can be totally honest with each other,” he said.

“We trust each other to be up front and we were. The decision was made, it is the right one for both parties and there is no bad heart about it.

“The club will continue to develop and prosper without me. They are well on that track.

“It will get to a point where people who don’t support Warrington will say the club is a good one, on and off the field.

“The time was right. I’m really comfortable with that.

“I’ll remain a Warrington Wolves fan and a supporter of the club. I hope the best for everyone involved.”

The announcement of Smith’s departure came 24 hours after The Wire secured their Super League status with a 32-30 victory over Leigh Centurions on Saturday.

Former England and Great Britain head coach Smith admits he did not get the chance to tell his players of the decision face-to-face.

The majority of this year’s Wolves squad won the League Leaders’ Shield and reached the Grand Final and Challenge Cup Final last year, losing on both occasions, and Smith believes their fall from grace has come down to small details.

“The players had a couple of days off and we didn’t think it was right for the news to come by text or something like that,” he said.

“We thought it was best to get it out there straightaway and as a consequence, we did not get the chance to tell the players directly.

“We performed well in games last year that allowed us to compete in big finals and put us in with a shout of winning some trophies.

“Things went for us in games last year. We were winning games without playing especially well.

“This year, those things didn’t go in our favour. It is those details that make a difference.

“It has been challenging in a lot of ways this year, especially in terms of the availability of certain players.

“Regardless of that, we have to accept we haven’t been good enough this year and that a change is the right thing to do.”

Despite this year’s struggles, Smith will always be remembered as the man who brought the Challenge Cup back to Warrington for the first time since 1974 when they beat Huddersfield at Wembley in 2009.

He won the competition twice more in 2010 and 2012, winning three out of his four Wembley finals with the club.

The League Leaders’ Shield was also won in 2011 and 2016, but a Grand Final victory has remained elusive for The Wire.

Under Smith’s stewardship, Wolves have reached the final three times but have been beaten on each occasion, by Leeds in 2012 and neighbours Wigan in 2013 and 2016.

However he says not winning the English game’s big prize will not ‘eat away at him’ and says trophies are not what have made his time at the club memorable.

“I will always remember the relationships I’ve built up at this club. That is what has kept me here for so long,” he said.

“The main one is, of course, with Simon Moran. I have enjoyed working with him and the board immensely.

“Winning the competitions we have has been great and we brought a lot of joy to a lot of people, but trophies are side issues for me.

“A lot of people have asked me if not winning the Grand Final with Warrington will eat away at me, but it won’t. I’ve been in sport long enough to know trophies are not the be all and end all.”

For both parties, attention now turns to the future as the job of replacing Smith begins in earnest, with former Wigan and South Sydney head coach Michael Maguire emerging as the early favourite to take over at The Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Smith says Moran has asked him for his input with regards to who should succeed him and insists he is ‘more than happy’ to give any help he can.

In personal terms, the New South Wales native says he will enjoy a post-season break before deciding his next move.

“Simon and I have spoken about the future for the club,” he said.

“If he wants my opinion on people who could possibly come in, I’d be more than happy to give him my honest views.

“That’s what our relationship is based on. I will always be honest with Simon.

“My wife and I will have a break then think about where we go from here, but that’s a long way from being decided.

“I love the game of rugby league. That’s the long and short of it.

“We have two games left before that so I will enjoy the rest of my time with Warrington.”